Sayuri Enmei
Sayuri Enmei (円明小百合, Enmei Sayuri) is a dojō instructor of the Enmei-ryū, a dojō residing in a mountain range serving as the borderline between the Land of Earth and Land of Fire. She originally hails from the Land of Fire herself, but her students that come reside from both of the two countries. Due to the versatility and promise the Enmei-ryū holds, she is a rather popular training figure in the eyes of many. She holds the moniker of the "Grey Angel of the Sword" (剣の灰色の天使, Ken no Haiiro no Tenshi). Background (In Progress) Appearance Sayuri is a woman well into her adult years, with long black hair that flows beyond her shoulders. Her eyes are a hazel color. Though Gorou Rokurou, a former student of hers, remarks that her form is relatively "womanly", her physical training through the years has shown that she is still in her prime. As her attire, she is commonly seen wearing the kosode-hakama combination that her students are wearing. However, the variation is that instead of a hakama, a dress with the left-side open fold is worn. She also wears a blue sash around the waist, presumably a unique marking of her status in the dojo. Her sword like most, is carried and sheathed on her waist. When she is carrying more than one, she carries each sword on both sides of her waist, similar to that of a Western gunslinger. Personality Sayuri is a rather cool-minded, soft-spoken, and distant individual, the latter of traits one of the reasons why she chose to set up her dojō in such a secluded place such as the mountain range border between the Land of Fire and Land of Earth. Naturally, she seems to hold a rather positive nature, almost to the point of naivity. She is generally pacifistic; the reason she gives for teaching students how to use a sword is to protect themselves from the oppression of the war, rather than to take up arms in it. She also is good-humored and easy-going towards most people she meets, even as so far as to greeting enemies she has fought in the war if they are in a non-combat situation. Behind this polite and lady-like exterior, however, lies a veteran of combat, a tactical strategist, and a fighter who is skilled at thinking on her toes. Many of her pupils think of her as respectable and honorable due to this nature she expresses, a mentality of a "true teacher". The deeper aspects of Sayuri's personality reveal a wise woman who always is willing to see the best in people. She is not one to hold grudges in combat, and will often spare an opponent if they survive her assault but cannot fight anymore. Commonly, she is seen with some sort of medical equipment attached to her sash in order to help aid the ones that are in need, including enemies. However, she only does so if they are still unable to fight, even after whatever healing she utilizes is fully administrated. Despite her seemingly naive outlook on life, she holds rather strong mentality and willpower - a result of her training. With this combined with her fighting prowess, she is quite a resilient and tenacious fighter, capable of withstaining grievous injuries and still being able to fight effectively. She holds honor in combat to a high degree, preferring one-on-one battles or fights where the number of enemies and allies are even. She holds a semblance of respect for her opponent, even complimenting them on their abilities when appropriate. Abilities Unlike most combatants of the era, who specialize in using shinobi art in order to engage in battle, Sayuri does not possess the ability to mold chakra. Therefore, she is unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu. However, despite what many would assume to be short-comings, she possesses immense skill in the use of kenjutsu and taijutsu. Her talent in sword-fighting, hand-to-hand combat, and immense knowledge of combat make her quite a formidable opponent, even to high-level ninja. Kenjutsu As the teacher of the Enmei-ryū, Sayuri possesses incredible skill in swordplay. Ironically in contrast to Gorou's disciplined style (to which she herself has taught the majority of her pupils), her own preferred style revolves around acrobatic and erratic movements. Though her attacks are lethal and precise, her movements are made to be unpredictable, keeping the enemy from fully reading her attacks. There is also a trait depending on whether one or two hands is on her sword in order to swing; one hand emphasizes and enhances the speed of her attacks, allowing her to fight with terrifying quickness. When she uses both hands, her swings enhance in power, capable of creating powerful wind bursts. By causing friction between the wind itself and her blade, she can set the very air on fire with her sword strikes and even incinerate those unfortunate enough to cross her path with one blow. Synopsis *Confrontation on the Crossroads (GSWW, INVITE) Trivia References